This invention relates to methods and apparatus for providing professional radiology interpretation services at locations distant from the healthcare facilities originating the studies in a centrally controlled and directed manner that results in the required kind of radiology service (i.e., specialty or sub-specialty radiology as necessary) delivered in a clinically effective and timely manner.
Conventional radiology services are traditionally site-based, where the healthcare facility exclusively has radiology services provided to it by an on-site radiologist or radiology group. The on-site provider of radiology services, depending on the size, kind, or location of the facility, may or may not provide the desired breadth of radiology services over the desired timeframe. For example, small, rural hospitals typically receive radiology service infrequently, by a circuit-riding radiologist responsible for covering a plurality of healthcare facilities. Another example of unmatched supply and demand for radiology services could be a non-hospital based diagnostic imaging center, where a relatively low volume of studies oftentimes makes it difficult to attract the desired or necessary specialty or sub-specialty radiology services to the diagnostic imaging center.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a system for improving the distribution of radiology services which would result in an integrated regional and national system for standardized, centrally managed radiology services, available to all areas and types of hospitals, thereby achieving efficiency and utilization of radiologists with specialty and sub-specialty training and skills, resulting in improvements in quality and controlling costs associated with providing radiology services.